TOINS, PENS & DIAMONDS

for the longest time, the boys would call any change they received "COINS". which is just the absolute cutest when boomer says it because his Cs come out as Ts. "TOINS." too funny!

then everything turned to pennies, which boomer calls "PENS."

jax has gotten really good at what's what when it comes to money . i haven't officially taught them yet all the proper terms, even though i've had giant paper money bought from the learning store, for like ever. anyway...

a few weeks ago my grandpa pulled out his change wallet. which, by the way, is something grandpa does with all his grandkids. i think he was the first to teach us all our first lesson on money and he has a really great coin wallet that is all twisty like a puzzle. i remember trying to figure out how to open it when i was little. okay... i'm rambling....

so anyway, grandpa pulls out his change wallet and lets boomer pick between a quarter and a dime. boomer chooses the dime.

gpa:"what'd ya pick boomer?"

b:"a pen."

gpa:"a pen? no boomer, that's not a pen! what is that coin you chose?"

b:"it's a PEN, drampa!!!" (getting a bit annoyed)

me to gpa:"we haven't taught him the correct terms, yet. he calls everything coins or pennies."

gpa:"boomer, that one is a dime and this one is a quarter! you want them both?"

b:"YEAH!!!!!"

fast forward a few days. we are on a short trip to the supermarket, so the boys get to walk with me. while i'm busy deciding on what kind of tissues to buy, my boys are hiding in the TP racks, jumping out in front of people's carts, hissing like velocoraptors . i'm more than a little annoyed, so i quick pick out a tissue box, and drag my boys up to the register. they throw fits, of course. what's a trip to the store without a meltdown, right?! so i don't pay them any attention (as decided since the day jax was born.) so we get to the car and i'm lecturing them on why scary dinosaurs giving little old ladies heart attacks is NOT okay, and boomer just can't stop crying. not fit-like, but sad, like his little heart had been broken.

me:"why are you crying, boomer?" (still annoyed, i admit)

b:"i lost my diamond!!"

me:"huh?!"

b:"my diamond!! it's lost!!!" (still SO upset)

me:"boomer, calm down. i have no idea what you're talking about."

he calms down a bit, but still talks about this diamond the whole way home. all the while i'm racking my brain, trying to figure out what the whoozie a diamond is.

we get home, i send the boys to their room to play while i unload the groceries. a few minutes later, boomer runs down the stairs and shows me his dime from grandpa. "look, mama!!! i didn't lose THIS diamond!!!!" so proud of himself.

time to break out the GIANT paper money props!